Republican House Members Take Voluntary Pay Cut

MONTGOMERY – Fifty five Republican Members of the Alabama House of Representatives have voluntarily cut their pay by 15 percent to correspond with proration currently being experienced by state agencies.

Even though mandated state budget cuts ordered by Governor Bentley in March do not cut salaries for teachers or state employees, GOP lawmakers said reducing their own pay is a way of demonstrating that they, too, are sharing in the pain of this economic crunch.

House Speaker Mike Hubbard praised the Members for their selfless leadership.

“Given the state of the budgets and the economic situation we are in, taking a self-imposed pay cut is a highly honorable thing to do,” Speaker Hubbard said. “I commend our Republican Members, and all Members, who have voluntarily cut their pay. It’s a show of good faith on behalf of the Republican leadership and I believe it’s the right thing to do.”

Speaker Hubbard, who never accepted a legislative pay raise enacted by the then-Democrat-controlled Legislature in 2007 and continues to refuse all automatic cost-of-living increases, said the decision on compensation was up to each individual Member to make.

Some newly-elected legislators quit better-paying jobs once elected to the Legislature because of the time demands of public office. Because those members ran for office counting on a certain level of pay to make up for their job loss, and because legislators are not offered affordable health insurance and retirement benefits by the state, it is unfair to impose a slash in pay on them.

“I’m not going to punish our new members for the actions of the Democrats that came before them,” Speaker Hubbard said. “I voted against the pay raise and never took home a dime of it, and neither did many of my colleagues. Enacting a pay raise that applies in the current term with automatic increases thereafter is wrong. It was also wrong that they passed it by voice vote, without recording and accounting for each Member’s vote. You’ll never see that happen on our watch.”

Discussions continue between the House Leadership and the Senate about possible long-term proposals on legislative compensation, Speaker Hubbard said.

“I believe there ought to be a professional, independent entity that determines legislative salaries. Senator Marsh and I have discussed some ideas on that and I’m hopeful we can eventually put forth a plan that makes sense.”

All 65 members of the House Republican Caucus had previously refused the cost-of-living increase that goes into effect this month. Members who have rolled back their legislative pay at least 15 percent to coincide with proration are: